Written Answers Thursday 16 April 2009

Scottish Executive

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many prosecutions there were and (b) what the average fine was for offences related to driving without insurance in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008.

Kenny MacAskill: In 2005-06 and 2006-07, the latest years for which information is available, there were 8,606 and 8,739 persons with a charge proved respectively for driving without insurance, where this was the main offence. The average fines in these years was £242 (8,290 persons fined) and £245 (8,436 persons fined) respectively.

  Data for 2007-08 will be available on 28 April 2009.

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were convicted for (a) possessing and (b) distributing prohibited (i) weapons and (ii) ammunition in each police board area in each of the last five years.

Mr Kenny MacAskill: The available information relating to the crime of handling an offensive weapon is given in the first table below, for the years 2002-03 to 2006-07. Data for 2007-08 will be available on 28 April 2009.

  Persons with a charge proved in Scottish courts for handling an offensive weapon(1)(2), by police force area, 2002-03 – 2006-07

  

 Offence/police force area
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


 Central 
 69
 83
 95
 89
 105


 Dumfries & Galloway
 56
 36
 48
 41
 73


 Fife 
 61
 51
 44
 67
 102


 Grampian 
 103
 118
 145
 167
 155


 Lothian & Borders 
 320
 290
 342
 315
 411


 Northern 
 53
 47
 56
 52
 98


 Strathclyde 
 1,965
 2,121
 2,553
 2,590
 2,392


 Tayside 
 144
 129
 164
 178
 198


 Scotland
 2,771
 2,875
 3,447
 3,499
 3,534



  1. Where main offence.

  2. "Handling an offensive weapon" covers the crime categories "possession of an offensive weapon", "restriction of an offensive weapon" and "having in a public place an article with a blade or point".

  The following table shows the additional number of persons with a charge proved under the Firearms Act 1968 relating to the possession, purchase, manufacture or selling of prohibited firearms or ammunition.

  Persons with a charge proved in Scottish Courts for offences under the Firearms Act 1968 relating to the possession, purchase, manufacture or selling of prohibited firearms or ammunition(1), by police force area, 2002-03 – 2006-07

  

 Offence/police force area
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


Person possesses, purchases, acquires, manufactures, sells or transfers a prohibited weapon 
 
 
 
 
 


 Central 
 2
 2
 0
 2
 0


 Dumfries and Galloway
 0
 1
 1
 1
 1


 Fife 
 0
 0
 2
 1
 4


 Grampian 
 1
 5
 2
 3
 2


 Lothian and Borders 
 7
 4
 2
 4
 3


 Northern 
 2
 0
 1
 0
 0


 Strathclyde 
 10
 14
 14
 19
 14


 Tayside 
 2
 2
 1
 3
 2


 Scotland
 24
 28
 23
 33
 26


 Person possesses, purchases, acquires, manufactures, sells or transfers prohibited ammunition
 
 
 
 
 


 Central 
 0
 1
 0
 1
 0


 Dumfries and Galloway
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Fife 
 1
 1
 0
 0
 1


 Grampian 
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Lothian and Borders 
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Northern 
 0
 0
 1
 0
 0


 Strathclyde 
 0
 0
 0
 0
 2


 Tayside 
 0
 0
 0
 1
 0


 Scotland
 1
 2
 1
 2
 3



  1. Where main offence.

  Possessing and distributing cannot be identified separately from the data held centrally.

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent estimate it has made of the proportion of criminal activity attributable to people under the age of 16 as (a) victims and (b) perpetrators.

Kenny MacAskill: (a) This information is not held centrally. The Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey 2005-06 has information on victims by age, but the survey only covers adults aged 16 and older who live in private residences.

  (b) No estimates have been made. The majority of under-16s are dealt with by the Children’s Reporter.

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals aged under 18 were (a) arrested and (b) issued with a penalty notice for being drunk and disorderly in each of the last five years.

Kenny MacAskill: Information on the number of arrests made by the police is not held centrally, only the number of crimes recorded.

  The list of offences eligible for an antisocial behaviour Fixed Penalty Notice is contained in primary legislation. There are a number of drink related offences in the list of offences eligible for a Fixed Penalty Notice and these can be found at Part 11 of the Antisocial Behaviour (Scotland) Act 2004. Note that antisocial Fixed Penalty Notices can only be issued to individuals aged 16 and over.

  The Scottish Government does not hold individualised data on any crimes or offences recorded by the eight police forces in Scotland, and as such it is not possible to identify how many of the drink related offences eligible for a Fixed Penalty Notice have been committed by individuals aged under 18.

Police

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it expects the police strength projection study to cost.

Kenny MacAskill: The Police Force Projection Study was carried out by Scottish Government officials in the normal course of their duties. There are no separately identifiable costs associated with the preparation of the study.